


amateur photo project

by EJwrites



Series: Tumblr Is A Hellish Landscape Not Fit For Fic Writers [13]
Category: Orphan Black (TV)
Genre: F/F, Polyamory, meet cute, pre-existing shayphine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-28
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-03 14:33:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10969221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EJwrites/pseuds/EJwrites
Summary: Prompt? "I post my photography on my blog/Instagram and you’re the only one who likes them and leaves a lil message about how you love my style ilysm even though I have no idea who you are".CHIOT-ET-EXPLORATRICEcosima cyber-stalks (only a little) someone who comments regularly on her hobby photography that she posts online.  it lands her in delphine's art installation.





	amateur photo project

**Author's Note:**

> [Prompt me!!](%E2%80%9Cwww.coshayphinelove.tumblr.com/tagged/prompt-me%22)

Doing the work of getting photos off of her DSLR onto her phone was probably way to much work for what she got out of it.  She didn’t even get very many likes or comments.  Cosima was tempted to just post a picture of her boobs for a comparison.  For being a photography app, Instagram sure wasn’t conducive to actual photographers.

Not that she was an actual photographer.  It was just a minor so she didn’t lose her mind getting her doctorate.  She loves science, but even she can’t do science twenty-four seven.  

She shook her head at herself, put the finishing touches on her coloring, and hit save.  She sent her latest work to herself and went to the lab where she was a teacher’s assistant.  Supervising undergrads in a state of the art lab was really not how she wanted to spend her life, but it paid the bills.

When she got out there were a few notifications on her phone.  A few texts from friends.  A couple notes on tumblr.  Yes!  Likes on her Instagram!  Oh, it was only one.  

ShayD.  They’ve consistently left feedback on her work, all overwhelmingly positive.  Cosima had convinced herself not to cyber-stalk this poor person for liking her work.  But today she had less impulse control than usual.  Sitting down in the student lounge, she clicked the hyperlink.

The icon was of a smiling blonde woman with fringe bangs and a pride flag painted on her cheek.  She clicked on it and zoomed in.  Nope, not an ex or a hookup.  

Her description was one word: Lover.  So many connotations…. It was minimalism at its finest.  She scrolled through her pictures.  It was mostly food and another blonde woman who appeared to be camera shy and her girlfriend, as most of the pictures were of her in the morning mostly naked with her face down in the pillows.  There was a video with a similar thumbnail.  She clicked it.

 _Are you ever gonna get up?_ the voice behind the camera asked.

 _Non, tu es ridicule.  Je ne me lève pas pour faire une randonnée._ sleepy girl mumbled into the pillows.

_I don’t know what that means but you promised.  And you wanted to take pictures.  Come on!_

The video cut off as voice behind the camera pressed a series of kisses to pillow girl’s shoulders.  It was captioned ‘Delphine every morning.’  But she wasn’t tagged.  She must not have an Instagram.  The next picture the sleepy girl was in a suit and standing in front of large print of one Cosima’s personal favorite new works.

Holy shit.  That was _Delphine Cormier_.

She’d just seen Delphine fucking Cormier without her shirt on.  Delphine Cormier, the rising photography star in the LGBT+ community for her portrait series.  Delphine Cormier who was openly bisexual and polyamorous and took shits on stereotypes on a daily basis.  

Delphine Cormier’s girlfriend liked her photography.  She laughed to herself and then on a whim, she googled where Delphine’s art was currently being shown.  It was a couple blocks over….  She had a couple of hours to kill before her next class…

The walk was short but cold.  She stomped her feet in the gallery entrance equally to get blood back into her cold feet and to get the sand off of her shoes.

Once she was ready, she entered the gallery proper.  There were portraits everywhere.  Some were huge, probably life-sized full body shots, and some where small, the size of a regular photograph.  They were environmental portraits, the subject almost never looking at the camera while they did something.  The only thing that was the same between each one was that a pride flag was added in in coloring of the objects around the subject.  

For instance, a medium sized shot of a bartender working the bar.  They were filling up a line of six shot glasses all colored to be in gay pride flag order.  The bartender was talking to someone off to the right, smiling and not looking at either the camera or the shots.  It was touching and sweet.

The next shot was of a guys back in silhouette against the ocean.  A surfboard stood in the sand next to him as he looked out over the horizon, his wet suit top dangling around his waist.  The sun set over an ocean where the lines of the tide were colored to look like the trans flag.

“He was reluctant to take that photo,” a quiet accented voice informed her from over her right shoulder.

Cosima turned and _shit._ It was Delphine Cormier.  She hadn’t intended to meet her today.  Maybe come back later with more knowledge of her work and try to impress her…

“Yeah?” she replied, trying to be cool, “Why was that?”

Delphine shrugged so theatrically that her hoop earrings bumped the tops of her shoulders.  “He said something about shirtless trans people being more controversial than what my series was about.

Cosima laughed.

“Delphine,” she introduced herself and held her hand out.

“Cosima,” she introduced herself and shook her hand.  “And I think it’s amazing.  All these photos….” Cosima was suddenly overwhelmed by how many there were.  “They’re incredible.  Way better in person.”

Delphine laughed bashfully.  “Thank you.  You’re familiar with them?  From online?”

Cosima nodded excitedly, “Yeah!  I saw some of your stuff featured on tumblr and as soon as I read your artist’s statement I just had to go to your website.”

“Oh, wow,” Delphine rubbed the back of her neck and ran her other hand through her hair.  “I didn’t know that it had spread so far over the internet.”

Cosima could tell that her work being shared so much made her uncomfortable.  “Hey, it’s a good thing.  Really,” she tried to reassure her.  

They lulled into a comfortable silence as Cosima moved around the gallery.  “I hope you don’t mind,” Delphine cut in, “That I’m following,” she explained, “I have to stay and supervise the gallery and I hate to just sit and watch.  You seem to have a very good eye and you have things to say.”

“I like to think that I do,” Cosima teased.  “This is actually way better than I could have hoped.  A personalized tour from the artist?  That’s the dream.”

“Are you an artist?” Delphine asked conversationally to cover a blush.

Cosima laughed.  “I like to think so.  I’m more of a hobbyist.”  She pointed to herself, “Photographer.”

“I would love to see some of your work sometime,” Delphine said with something that Cosima couldn’t place in her tone.  Was it flirting?  Impossible. Why would Delphine be hitting on Cosima?

She turned back to the art and asked questions as they went around the gallery.  

She found out that Delphine really likes to use layers in Photoshop.  “Some people have argued that it’s too many, but I just like to be safe.”  She found out more about Delphine’s artistic mission.  “There are people out there that say that sexuality isn’t the most important part of who people are.  I say that’s bullshit.  I think it’s incredibly important and shapes every aspect of every day for the entirety of your life.  I just wanted to make a visual representation of that.”

As Cosima rounded the last corner Delphine described in a sighing voice the portrait of the bisexual MMA fighter working a bag.  “I took quite a few shots as he was running on the treadmill.  I kept those for my own personal collection.”

Cosima snorted.  “Is that why you did a portrait series?  So you could oogle potential partners?”

“Maybe,” Delphine giggled.  “On an unrelated note, would you be willing to model for me?”

Cosima outright laughed.  “I would love to, but I have to get back to class.”

“Oh, what are you studying?” Delphine asked with a little bit of surprise in her voice.

“Evolutionary Development.  I’m about a year and half away from my doctorate.”

“That sounds interesting.  Would you like to tell me more about it over coffee after your class is out?”  Okay.  This was flirting.

Cosima gaped.

“I’m sorry,” Delphine waved her hands in front of her.  “That was too forward.”

“No, no!  I would love to get coffee, I just didn’t think that that was a thing that could happen.”

“Okay,” Delphine reached into her back pocket, her flirtatious face back, “Here is my card.  Text me.”

* * *

Cosima sprinted out of her class and to the coffee shop.  Only when she saw the front window did she slow down.  She tried to calm herself and be more composed when she entered.  She spotted Delphine easily, her messy blonde hair sticking out from the crowd.

“Hey!” Delphine waved.  “How was class?” she asked as Cosima sat down.

“Good.  A little overwhelming.  Who knew there was so much to discuss about the phenotype development of ancient bacteria?”

Delphine’s eye widened a little.  “You do now.”

Cosima laughed.  “Were you a stereotypical art student and just hated science?”

“No, actually, this may sound silly to you,” she laughed, “But I was an immunology student at one point.”

“Really?” Cosima asked incredulous.

“Yeah.  I was almost done with my bachelor’s and I was miserable.  When I was at my lowest my girlfriend suggested I just take a year to take fun classes and I fell in love with photography.”  She shrugged.  “So I know what those words mean, just not together.”

Cosima laughed.  Just as she was about to respond the waitress came over, she took her order and left quietly.  

“So,” Cosima started, liking where this evening was going, “You mentioned an ex girlfriend, your photo series is about LGBT+ people, and you asked me out for coffee.”

Delphine smirked.  “Is there a question in there?”

“I mean,” Cosima shrugged, “Do you really want me to model for you or is something else going on here?”

“Well, I would like something else to be happening, but I have to make a quick correction.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” Delphine bit her lip.  “Shay, the girlfriend I mentioned.  She’s not an ex, we are still together.”  When Cosima’s eyebrow shot up in question she asked, “Do you know what polyamory is?”

Cosima felt her face flush.  “I’m aware of it, but I guess I don’t understand enough about it.”  She was also aware of Shay but chose not the mention that this whole meeting was happening because she accidentally cyber-stalked her girlfriend.

“Well,” Delphine blushed too, she looked a little uncomfortable.  “As long as I tell Shay, I can date or sleep with anyone I want.  Some people all date each other but Shay generally doesn’t.”

“Oh,” she grinned.  Delphine Cormier was now propositioning her.  Wow today was a good day.

Delphine nodded, a small smile creeping up on the corner of her lips.  Something caught her eye behind Cosima.  “Speaking of,” she said with surprise.

Cosima looked over her shoulder and saw the woman from Instagram.  Delphine’s girlfriend.  Shay.

“Hey!” Delphine greeted her with a kiss.

“Hey!  What are you doing here?”

“Having coffee with a friend.  What are you doing here?”

Shay sighed.  “So, I know it’s my night to make dinner but I’m just wiped.  I thought I’d pick up something and maybe if I got the pastries you like you wouldn’t notice.”  She turned to Cosima.  “Hi, I’m Shay.”

Cosima offered her hand for a shake.  “Cosima.”

“Cosima… I recognize that name from somewhere.  Have we met before?”

 _Ah, shit._ “I think I wouldremember.”  

“Wait…” Delphine looked like she was having an epiphany.  “You said you were a photographer?”  When Cosima nodded she continued, “You post on Instagram.  I don’t have my own so I use Shay’s account to follow you.”

Shay laughed, “What a small world.  I think I just saw one of your pieces today.”

“Huh,” Cosima’s voice a few octaves higher than usual.  “That’s crazy.”

“Chérie, why don’t you sit with us?” Delphine asked Shay.  

“Sure,” Shay shrugged and slid into the chair next to Delphine.  

Delhine turned back to Cosima.  “I love your work.  Why didn’t you say anything?”

Cosima laughed.  “Well, thank you.  But I figured talking about my own work while in someone else’s gallery show was a bit too much.”

“That’s fair,” Delphine nodded.

The table fell into a comfortable silence while Shay situated herself.  She looked up and got a little embarrassed that she was the center of attention.

“What were you guys talking about when I interrupted.  It looked interesting,” Shay asked.

Cosima thought back and immediately tried to say _Nothing!_ but Delphine beat her to it.

“You,” she leaned over and kissed Shay’s cheek.  

“Oh,” Shay giggled.  “That kind of friend?” she teased quietly.

Delphine nodded once with a smile.  

They both turned to Cosima, whose cheeks were on fire.  She laughed awkwardly.  She didn’t know why it was every straight boy’s dream to be stared at with desire by multiple beautiful women.  It made Cosima want to throw up a little bit.

“Are you okay?” Delphine asked, genuinely concerned.  

“Yeah, no, I’m great.  There’s just some weird sexual tension happening here and I’m…. very confused.”  Cosima’s voice was cracking more than an ice cube in warm water.

Shay laughed.  “Sorry, that’s probably my bad.  Usually people find it easier to meet me after they’ve been with Delphine.”

Delphine looked between Shay and Cosima quizzically.  She turned to Shay.  “Are you….?  Êtes-vous flirter avec elle?”

“Soit cool,” Shay chastised.  

Cosima gaped, not wanting to say that her mom’s side of the family is from the French quarter of Louisiana and she understood every word.  She took a sip of coffee to cover her discomfort.

Delphine grinned and looked back to Cosima.  “Have you ever been intimate with two people at once?”

Cosima almost spit her coffee out.  “I mean,” she squeaked, “It’s been a thought I’ve had.”

Shay laughed, “Deli, chill out.  Don’t scare her.  We’re just having coffee.”  She turned to Cosima, “Sometimes she forgets that not everybody is as open as her.”

Cosima nodded, the blush fading from her cheeks.  Shay was taking most of the pressure off and it was welcome.  “That must have been interesting.  When you guys first got together.”

Delphine laughed.

Shay smiled with her.  “She wasn’t always like this.”

“Yes.  Shay turned me into what you see today.”

“I did not!  I just said you should be more in tune with your feelings and be open to talk about them.”  She laughed, “This is your own doing.”

Delphine leaned in and bumped their shoulders together, “You created a monster.”

Cosima giggled.  “You guys are cute.”  She shifted stiffly.  She was curious about something but wasn’t sure if it was appropriate.  “Can I ask something kind of personal?”

“Sure,” Shay said immediately, “Delphine just asked you about your sex life.”

Delphine snorted.

“Okay,” she laughed.  “Can I ask how you guys decided to be polyamorous?  You guys just seem really happy together.”

“Hmm.  Well first of all,” Delphine gently corrected, “Polyamory isn’t a cure for relationships that aren’t happy.”

“I know.  I just meant, like, you’re happy with each other so what pushed you to consider dating other people?”

“Ah,” Shay said.  “That’s kind of sad.”  Delphine nodded.  Shay put her arm around her shoulders before continuing.  “I was in the military.  I enlisted right after college.  I had to spend ten weeks on a base with zero free time for basic training.  And this one,” she jostled Delphine who smiled bashfully, “Was miserable.  When I got back she was the definition of clingy.”

“Sorry for just being so in love with you that I missed you.”

Shay laughed and kissed Delphine’s cheek.  “I guess it’s okay.”  She sighed.  “I got deployed really fast.  In the month or so that we had before I left we talked about it.  Cuz I don’t really mind.  As long as I have her to come home to and she’s safe,” she shrugged. “I just want her to be happy.”

Delphine nodded, “I was still miserable, though.  I just got, how do you say the one…”  She looked to Shay, “Touch starved.  That’s the one.”

Shay nodded.  “So it was just like, we would Skype and still be emotionally girlfriends, but I couldn’t be there to hold her.  And she would find physical stuff elsewhere.”

“Did people get mad?” Cosima asked.  She worried for past Delphine, so lonely and putting herself at risk.

“No,” Delphine laughed, “Honestly, it made dating easier.  It’s easier to find people online only looking for hookups than you think.   What was that app I used?”

“Tinder,” Shay supplied.

“Oh, god,” Cosima grumbled.  “Yeah, that makes sense.”

Shay nodded.  “And then I got back.  And I wasn’t like, really into sex for a while, so we talked and Delphine just kept doing her thing.”

“The rule then was I had to be home early enough to spoon her to sleep.”

“Yeah.  Sometimes I wanna reinstate that rule,” she teased.

“And now?”  Cosima asked.  “What are the rules for hookups or…” she didn’t want to sound to presumptuous but as she talked more with them she really didn’t want to be just a hookup, “Like, relationships.”

“I don’t really go elsewhere so much anymore,” Delphine said.  “It’s usually just those things that just happen.  You meet a lot of passionate people in the art world.”  She shrugged.

“Like you,” Shay nudged Cosima’s knee under the table with her own.

Cosima blushed.  “So…. am I just a passionate person?  Or… am I..” she trailed off, not really confident enough to finish.

Shay and Delphine looked to each other.  It seemed they had a telepathic conversation and looked back to Cosima.  

“I think we’re going to have to have a talk,” Shay said aloud for Cosima’s benefit.  “We’ll get back to you.”

Cosima laughed, hopeful for the latter option but not wanting to force herself in between the two.

The rest of coffee went smoothly.  Shay and Delphine hit on Cosima who mostly was okay.  She spluttered only a little bit.  They parted ways afterward, not trying to push anything.

Cosima got a text a few days later, asking her to dinner.  There they informed her that they had reached a decision.  If she wanted, she could be a girlfriend to both of them, on equal ground as them in a triad.

After dinner she had the best sex of her life.  

Three years later, after Cosima had graduated and gotten a real job, they moved into a new place together.

**Author's Note:**

> this.. logically has three parts.. i don't know if i'll ever put the other two parts in. but i'm leaving it open.


End file.
